Role Reversal
by EosAella
Summary: Arthur permitted the use of magic to try and save his father's life. But what if it had been reversed? Would Uther Pendragon use magic to save his only son's life? And at what price would it come? Reveal!fic  sort of.  No Slash.
1. Chapter 1

_Arthur permitted the use of magic to try and save his father's life. But what if it had been reversed? Would Uther Pendragon use magic to save his only son's life?  
>Set after the end of Series 2.<em>

Uther sat by the bed in which his son lay, deep in the realms of unconsciousness. He had been struck by a mysterious illness and had hours left at Gaius' guess. Nobody, it seemed, could do anything for him.

Well not quite nobody but that wasn't really an option when the king never left Arthur's side.

"Sire," Gaius entered and he looked up hopefully, "I have managed to diagnose the illness."

"And? Can you cure him?"

"I'm afraid that _I_ cannot. The disease is of magical origin, for it to be cured would require extremely powerful magic. But not just any powerful magic, it needs to come from a being of pure magic. Someone that is magic. It would have to be their life force. Someone whose magic is so pure that it can never be used for ill intent."

The king almost scoffed, "There is no such person. All magic is evil."

"Sire if you continue to believe that then I'm afraid your son… will die."

"No. There has to be something!"

"I have told you of the cure, all you need to find is someone that is not only all the things I have mentioned but they also need to be willing to help. There may be one though."

"Gaius if you're telling me you know of a sorcerer then I could charge you with treason."

"I am not telling you that sire, I am saying that you must choose. It is either your son's life or your work for the last twenty years."

"Well what sort of a choice is that! I'm not going to let Arthur die because of me! I- I can't lose him Gaius." The king's face softened and he reached over to stroke his son's head now talking more to himself than anyone, "He's so much like his mother."

"So do you choose to use magic sire?"

"If it will save Arthur than I would choose it a thousand times over. But what sorcerer would want to help me?"

"I know one that would not want to help you, but would willingly give his life for Arthur."

Uther looked up, "Then I must speak to him, summon him immediately. Bring him here."

"I warn you sire, he may ask for something in return."

"I thought you said he was a good sorcerer!"

"He is, but he still fights for magic to be brought back to Camelot. Within reason of course." Uther nodded in acceptance and Gaius bowed before taking his leave, leaving the king alone with his son.

"He's going to let you do what you need to do."

Merlin nodded solemnly and he and Gaius headed for Arthur's chambers.

"Gaius? What is this? You said you were fetching a sorcerer." Uther stood up as they entered.

Gaius didn't answer but merely motioned for Merlin to move forward. Before he reached the bed he looked up at the king, "I will save Arthur unconditionally, but it would be only fair for you to repay magic by setting it free."

"If you save my son I will personally make you my court sorcerer."

"If I save your son sire it's more than likely I'll be dead." Uther frowned, "By the laws of the old religion for a life to be saved a life must be taken, I'm willing for that to be mine but I don't want it to be in vain," he turned to face Arthur, "You just had to go and get yourself ill didn't you? I hope you realise the trouble you've caused you great prat. Destiny is going to be so pissed off with you." Arthur let out a shuddery breath.

Merlin shook his head slightly and placed a hand over Arthur's forehead. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes; he felt around inside himself for his magic. He could feel it tingling beneath his fingers and he pushed it out, forcing it into Arthur. As the prince started to stir Merlin fell to his knees, unable to stay standing. Gaius rushed behind him and supported him to stop him falling backwards. After what seemed like hours but was in fact only about ten minutes Arthur opened his eyes, at the exact same moment Merlin's eyes also opened. His faded from gold to blue as the last of his magic was thrust out; he looked down at Arthur, upon seeing him awake and staring up at him in disbelief he smiled slightly and fell limply across the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wh-What happened?" Arthur asked groggily as he awoke, he looked up to see merlin above him, barely conscious. He had his hand placed on Arthur's forehead and his eyes were fading from gold to blue. He looked down at Arthur and smiled before collapsing over him.

"Merlin!" He shot up into a sitting position and tried to rouse his servant, "Gaius, do something!" He shouted to the physician who was just standing there with a pained expression in his face.

"Shhh," He turned to see his father sitting next to him, "You've been ill Arthur you need to rest," He tried to push him back into bed.

"No! Why does no one care that Merlin appears to be dead?"

The king looked up, "Gaius?"

Gaius nodded and moved forward, he took hold of Merlin and laid him down gently on the floor. "Merlin gave his life to save you sire, he channelled his life force into you but he paid a price."

"What? And you let him?"

"Arthur you are crown prince, your life is worth more than that of your servant." Uther attempted to defend their actions.

"I'm not even going to justify that with an answer." Arthur scowled at his father.

"Sire, you know how stubborn Merlin was. We couldn't have stopped him if we tried."

"No! Stop doing that! You're talking about him as if he were dead! How stubborn Merlin _is. _Not _was_."

There was a beat of silence, "I'm sorry sire." Gaius said, "He was the only one that could have done it. No one else was powerful enough or if they were they weren't pure enough."

Arthur finally laid back, his face a mask of shock. "Merlin? Powerful?"

The king shared a look with his advisor but before either of them could answer Sir Leon knocked and entered. "My lord, there is something you need to see."

Arthur was helped to the window with his father and Gaius by the knight and was shocked with what he saw.

In the courtyard below were at least fifty druids, all raising a single candle each. As one a murmur went through the group and each candle lit up.

"What are they doing?" Arthur asked in hushed tones.

"They are mourning." Gaius explained.

"But why? The boy was no druid and they have never mourned any other sorcerer." The king asked.

"Merlin wasn't just any sorcerer."

"What do you mean?"

"To the druids he was known as Emrys, he is spoken of in many of their legends. He had a great destiny."

"Stop talking about him as if he's dead!"

"Arthur-"

"Sire-"

"No! He cannot be dead!"

"Arthur Merlin gave his life force to save you, it's not possible-" Gaius tried to explain.

"Just like it wasn't possible for my father to trust a sorcerer?"

"I'm sorry."

"NO!"

Arthur ran over to Merlin's still form and started to try and wake him desperately but to no avail. He shouted at the figure until he was hoarse. Great racking coughs started to shudder through his body as his voice gave out, the king and Gaius stood, helpless, as the prince tried to control himself but he kept on coughing. As the coughing got worse the other two in the room seemed to realise that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"Gaius, do something! Make him stop."

"I can't sire, he'll just have to ride it out."

He stopped and looked up at the two standing above him, both gasped as they saw him.

Golden eyes fading to blue before he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Between them Gaius and the king manage to lift Arthur from where he had collapsed on the floor and into his bed. Uther then called in a guard to remove the body from the room but when Merlin was picked up the prince let out a sudden gasp and his eyes snapped open, golden. Merlin flew limply across the room to his side and managed to knock him out of the bed so they were both in a heap on the floor, Arthur still unconscious.

"Maybe it's best if we don't move him for now sire." Gaius suggested earning him a _y'think?_ look from the king.

-Inside Arthur's Brain (I know, I was surprised he had one too!)-

"Eugh, where am I?" a boy sat up rubbing his head, "Is this Avalon? Because if so I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's awfully dark in here, and rather empty…"

"Hey!" a voice seemed to emanate from the very air around him.

"What was that?" the boy jumped.

"Who are you?" the voice asked.

"Err… Good question. I was kinda hoping you could answer that?"

"Idiot." The voice muttered.

"Idiot? What an odd name."

"No that's not you're name! That's an insult. It's what you are."

"Oh." There was a pause, "What's an idiot?"

"And yet you know what Avalon is?"

"Yeah… It just kind of came to me."

"But your name won't?"

"No."

"Once again: Idiot."

"Do _you _know what Avalon is?"

"Err… Well I… Of course… It's… No."

"Prat."

"What was that?" the voice didn't sound angry. Almost eager.

"I don't know, it just sort of, felt right. Why? What does it matter?"

"Well only one person has ever called me a prat."

"Really, they seem a good judge of character. Can I meet him?"

There was silence.

"Hellooooo? Big spooky voice?"

No answer.

"Fine then."

The boy sat back down in a huff.

"Clotpole." He muttered under his breath.

A gasp. The voice was back.

"Clotpole?"

"Yes. What are you? Deaf as well as rude?"

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself!"

"You really can't address me like that."

"You're a voice, there's not really anything here for me _to _address."

"Oh, right. Hold on."

There was a beat of silence and then a small pop as a blond haired boy appeared sprawled in a not so elegant way.

They both stared at each other.

"Merlin?"

"Is that another insult?"


	4. Chapter 4

-Back in the real world (sort of) -

"Gaius can we just clear something up first, is the boy definitely dead?"

Merlin had been laid on the bed also, next to Arthur. They had tried to move him further but every time he was ripped from their hands so on the bed he stayed.

Gaius moved over and felt Merlin's neck, he pressed around with his fingers for a few minutes before his face showed the shock of what he found.

"He has a pulse sire."

"But you said-"

"I know."

"And he said-"

"I know."

"But Arthur's fine right?"

"It appears so sire."

"But he's unconscious!"

"Yes sire."

-And into Arthur's brain again-

"No it's not an insult it's your name!"

"So you do know who I am."

"Well I would think so; you have been my servant for three years."

"I have?"

"Yes!"

"And who are you?"

"Arthur Pendragon? Crown prince and first knight of Camelot?"

"Really? Good for you."

"Merlin, do you really not recognise me? It's me! Arthur!"

Merlin cocked his head, "Ar-thur?" He blinked a few times and screwed up his face in concentration before frowning. A few more moments and a look of realisation crossed his features, "Arthur! Good to see you! Where are we?"

"In my brain."

"Really? It's very small."

"OI!"

Merlin sent him a quick grin. He was surprised when the prince walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. "Uh… Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"You idiot! I thought you were dead! What were you thinking trying to give me your life force? And why the hell are the druids mourning you?"

"Well I thought I was dead too. I should be… I've told you before Arthur that I'm happy to die for you!"

"And the druids?"

"Well… You see the thing about that…"

-And once again into the real world-

Uther stuck his head out of the window. "Hello?" He called to the druids, one of them looked up, "Err… hi. Merlin he – he isn't actually dead you know. And neither's Arthur. They're both just unconscious."

The druid looking up at him nodded and blew out his candle before heading up the steps and into the castle. The king looked at Gaius who just shrugged his shoulders but their confusion was explained when the same druid appeared at the door.

"How did you get through the guards?" Uther asked.

"To be frank your security is atrocious Pendragon."

"I have the finest guards in the realm!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Gaius stood watching the pair. This was going to be interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow these chapters are really diddy at the moment. Sorry about that!_

* * *

><p><em>-<em>Arthur's brain. Again.-

"Arthur?"

"Arthur?"

"Arrrthur?"

"Arthur!"

"I'm sorry Merlin what were you saying?"

"Stop laughing!"

"But it's so funny, the thought of you being an all-powerful sorcerer-"

"Warlock."

"-whatever. I mean as if!"

"Then why were the druids mourning?"

"Well, they're druids aren't they? Strange like that."

"Once and future king thinks druids to be strange." Merlin muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nooothiing."

"So, let's say that I believe you. Theoretically. How do you propose we get out of here?"

"Well it's your brain isn't it? You think of something."

"Come on, use your sorcerer-"

"Warlock."

"-knowledge. If you say you've defeated loads of beasts and so on in the past what's the problem here?"

"Well I would normally have help but as neither Gaius or the dragon are here…"

"Dragon?"

"Did I not mention him?"

"No, you didn't."

"Oh, well he's not important right now." Arthur shook his head in disbelief.

" I think the best option is probably to try and wake you up."

"And that will do… what?"

"Well, I think you'll probably remember this conversation and as I'm still in your head I can communicate through you and we can all work this out together."

"So how are you planning on waking me up?"

Merlin walked over so he was standing in front of Arthur and then slowly reached out a hand before pinching him hard on the arm. "OW! What was that for?"

"Worth a try."

Arthur scowled. "Why don't you just do something magicy?"

"I don't think that's a word."

"It is now."

"I don't know the spell for waking someone up whilst inside their head."

"What do you mean you don't know the spell? You have to learn certain spells? Can't you just put some words together and make it happen?"

"If I was fluent in the language if the old religion then yes I could."

"Go on then."

"I'm not fluent. I've only been learning for a few years."

"I thought you said you could use magic since you were born?"

"I could, I only started learning incantations and so on a couple of years ago though. Before that all my magic was instinctive."

"Well can't you try some of that?"

"What?"

"The instinctive stuff."

"Fine fine, hold on."

Merlin closed his eyes and drew on his magic. He could feel it swirling through his veins, ready and waiting for his command. He began to shape it to do what he needed it to-

"What's going on?"

His eyes snapped open, the gold tint that had begun to appear quickly vanished.

"You didn't do it!"

"Because you distracted me! Now shut up and let me concentrate."

He closed his eyes and began the process again. Nearly there just one last-

"What are you doing?"

Merlin growled softly. This could take some time.

-We're in the real world! (To be said in the voice of Pinocchio)-

"Why don't we all just calm down?" Gaius suggested earning a glare from both the king and the Druid.

"Emrys would be better off in our camp!"

"And Arthur would be better off in his home, here in Camelot!"

"You have no proof of that. "

"And you have no proof of your statements. Who is this Emrys anyway?"

Gaius had never seen a Druid facepalm before.

A soft moan came from the bed as Arthur stirred, "Eugh,what's everyone shouting about?"

"Arthur. You're awake!"

"Apparently so," then to himself (or so it seemed to everyone else in the room), "You did it Merlin."

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for such short chapters at the moment! I don't know what's going on there...<em>

_I know Uther's a bit ooc at the moment but I think that if he were normal Arthur would have died in the first chapter which would have quite effectively ended the story. _

_It also makes him a whole lot funnier :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_READ THE FOLLOWING AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR A TALE OF STUPIDITY AND AN EXPLANATION BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ARTHUR:_

_So I set my account settings so that I would get an email every time someone reviewed/subscribed/favourited one of my stories. On the last chapter I got four reviews (I think) and then I checked my inbox and…_

_NOTHING! No new messages._

_So I got all annoyed and had a little mental rant for a while. Then, just by chance, I looked in my junk box and BAM. Several messages about all my different stories._

_:1 Me:0_

_In the next couple of sections when Arthur's awake and Merlin's in his head he can talk through Arthur. Whenever Arthur is talking but it is Merlin's word it will be in __**bold**__ just to make things clearer._

Arthur cocked his head as he surveyed the people in the room, "What are you doing here?" he asked the druid.

"I came when I heard Emrys was still alive."

"Emrys? **That's me you prat**. Oh right, gotcha."

Everyone gave the prince a very weird look.

"What? Oh…Merlin! **What? **You just talked through my mouth! **And? **Now everyone must think I'm talking to myself. **Or that you have grief issues. **I don't have grief issues and even if I did you're not even dead! **Oh yeah!** Idiot."

"Sire?" Gaius took a tentative step forward, "Are you ok?"

"**Why are you calling me sire Gaius? **He's talking to me. **Oh right, sorry, carry on. **I'm fine thanks Gaius just…"

"Yes?" the king asked.

"I've got Merlin stuck in my head. **It's really small in here! **Shut up."

"Right…" Gaius sounded confused.

"**It's me Gaius really! When I gave up my life force for this prat I got stuck in here."**

"But, but you should be dead Merlin."

"**Well my body is. Isn't it? **No it's not Merlin. **Oh, I wonder why that is, I'll have to ask Kilgharra. **Who? **I'll explain later, but can we go to a field later? **Why? **You'll see."**

"So Emrys is controlling your mouth?" The druid asked.

"Apparently so."

"Can he control other parts of you, make you move?"

"**I haven't really tried to be honest." ** With a sudden lurch Arthur began to walk around his chambers rather stiffly. "Merlin, stop it. We look like a duck. **Well if you wouldn't fight it, try just let ing me do it." **Arthur paused for a moment and started walking normally. "This is so weird.** I know, so why do you think my body isn't dead?" **He turned to look at the druid.

"I have no idea."

"Fat lot of help you are. **Arthur don't be rude."**

"So if you're inside my son's head can you… I mean can Arthur… Can you make him use your… you know… stuff?"

"**Do you mean magic?**"

"Yeah that."

Arthur frowned before looking at a goblet on the table, his eyes flashed a shade of gold for the second time that evening and the goblet slid to the other end of the table.

Uther was scowling.

"**What's wrong sire?**"

"It's bad enough watching one of my children perform magic, but both of them? That just really takes the biscuit."

"I would try to refrain from using your magic Merlin." Gaius said.

"**Why?**"

"Because where as you were born with magic and so your body can channel that much energy Arthur wasn't. Your amount of power would be too much for him to handle."

"**But surely I can use it a little bit, just not big spells. It's not as though I have to kill Nimueh again anytime soon. **MERLIN GIVE ME MY BODY BACK! **Oh, sorry. I thought I had."**

"What do you mean? Nimueh's dead?" Uther asked.

"**Uh, yeah, that was me… **Don't lie Merlin. You never killed anyone. **Err… well-"**

"But Nimueh was a priestess of the old religion, how powerful are you?"

"Honestly Uther were you not listening to the whole 'most powerful ever' explanation?" The druid asked impatiently.

"Yes, but still! He killed Nimueh!"

"**Most powerful ever means that I am the most powerful. Ever. As in more powerful than anyone else. Including Nimueh. **Don't brag Merlin. **Hypocrite."**

"But… But… It's Nimueh!"

Merlin took control of Arthur's body again to face palm.

"MERLIN! **Sorry."**


End file.
